R. Kelly: What the Final ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ Docuseries Will Highlight
R. Kelly may be behind bars, but he continues to cause quite a stir. The disgraced R&B crooner will once again be the subject of what Lifetime promises to be the final installment of the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries. The series sparked the investigation into Kelly’s criminal ring of sex trafficking and abuse, leading to his arrest and conviction on several crimes. A final two-part series chronicling the serious consequences and his two trials is on the way.
Surviving R. Kelly returns for its final chapter to detail Kelly’s criminal trials
Lifetime released a trailer for Part III, which is confirmed as The Final Chapter. Set to premiere over two nights on Jan. 2-3, 2022, the series promises to chronicle the fallout that followed Kelly after he was arrested in 2019 for multiple sex crimes. Also examined will be how his career has been impacted since his music has been pulled largely from radio and streaming platforms. But the biggest thing to uncover is what took place in his first two criminal trials since the docuseries first premiered.
Per Lifetime, the upcoming episodes will feature over 60 testimonials from experts, journalists, and victims, with night one focused on the court testimonial of his former live-in girlfriend, Azriel Clary. Kelly’s bizarre interview with Gayle King is also a hot topic in the doc, as well as the alleged extreme lengths Kelly and his handlers went to keep his accusers silent amid the fallout.
The second night will give insight into Jane Doe No. 1, and revelations made by other John Does who took the stand during Kelly’s trials, including a male victim. Kelly awaits his final verdict in his second case, with everyone discussing the impact of the critically acclaimed series.
Kelly is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence
The first six-part docuseries aired over three nights on Lifetime in Jan. 2019. Since then, Kelly has been tried and convicted in two trials. His Brooklyn criminal case resulted in him being found guilty of racketeering. A second case in Chicago found him to be guilty of three charges of child pornography – and three charges of enticing a minor. He faces similar charges in Florida, Georgia, and Minnesota.
For the first time, people who witnessed his illegal marriage to Aaliyah took the stand. It was the first time the marriage was acknowledged publicly. Aaliyah’s family had the marriage annulled due to her being underage at the time.
In June 2022, Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison in his Brooklyn trial. He awaits his final sentencing in the Chicago trial, with the current court date scheduled for Feb. 2023. Kelly has insisted he is innocent, and his legal team has promised to appeal.
Despite being in prison, a recent album was “leaked,” with Kelly seemingly admitting to the crimes
Days before the trailer was released for the final part of the docuseries, a full album titled “I Admit It” was released and reportedly details Kelly, via song, confessing to some of his crimes. But Kelly’s team has fought back, saying the leak was illegal and he’s being set up. The album has since been removed from all streaming services. Kelly claimed in an exclusive statement to the Chicago Sun-Times that his music has been stolen.
